We all know that Portland is hyper saturated with electro-pop; but in my eyes, this is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I love stumbling across new upbeat projects, and there’s nothing quite like an electro-pop show in a small bar. I mean, who doesn’t want to dance his or her ass off at a show and come home smelling like other peoples’ sweat? It’s fantastic.
Local electro-poppers Guidance Counselor take the bloops and bleeps from the city’s beloved genre, but couples them with a lo-fi garage rock sensibility. The three-piece strums simple guitar chords and bass lines atop rhythmic drums, while band founder, Ian Anderson, croons romantic lyrics like, “What is love but flesh and blood and guts?” in deep monotone similar to that of New Order’s Bernard Sumner. The result is marvelous dance music that is not as sugary sweet as some of the band’s contemporaries. If this intrigues you, spend your Friday night at Mississippi Studios with Guidance Counselor and a bunch of sweaty strangers.
Seattle’s Velella Velella, and Portland’s own Arch Cape will open this evening of perspiration starting at 9:00 p.m. (doors at 8:00). $8. 21 and over.
– Katrina Nattress